The National Testing Agency (NTA) announced on Wednesday that it has decided to cancel the UGC-NET (University Grants Commission – National Eligibility Test) exam, which was conducted the previous day, citing concerns that the “integrity of the examination may have been compromised”.

However, the NTA stated that the University Grants Commission (UGC) received some inputs suggesting that the integrity of the examination might have been compromised. The NTA stated that the matter is being handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a thorough investigation.

The inputs raising concerns about the exam’s integrity were received from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), which operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

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“To ensure the highest level of transparency and sanctity in the examination process, the Ministry of Education, Government of India has decided to cancel the UGC-NET June 2024 Examination. A fresh examination will be conducted, and further information will be provided separately,” the NTA said in a statement.

UGC-NET is conducted to determine eligibility for the positions of Assistant Professor and/or Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) in Indian universities and colleges.

This development comes amid reports of similar discrepancies in the NEET-UG 2024 examination, with allegations of question paper leaks in states like Bihar. An unprecedented 67 students scored a perfect 720, with six from a center in Faridabad, Haryana, raising suspicions of irregularities. It has been suggested that grace marks contributed to the 67 students sharing the top rank.

The NEET-UG exam, conducted by the NTA, is for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country.

Regarding the NEET-UG exam, the NTA stated, “The issue related to grace marks has already been fully addressed. Concerning the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the examination in Patna, a detailed report has been requested from the Economic Offences Unit, Bihar Police. The government will take further action upon receiving this report.”

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